A group of 15 companies announced the creation of The Florida Natural Gas Vehicle Coalition, advocating financial incentives similar to those in Texas and nearly a dozen other states to help with the purchase of natural gas vehicles.


Such programs offer grants, tax credits and other incentives for the purchase of natural gas vehicles.

The coalition includes TECO/Peoples Gas, Florida Natural Gas, Champion Brands and JJ Taylor Companies.

FNGVC also released an economic impact study showing NGV incentives could create more than 10,000 jobs, $300 million in new wages and $1 billion in economic output over two decades.

State Representative Lake Ray believes that NGVs will be considered in the 2013 legislative session in Tallahassee. "It is vital to Florida's economic future that we have a conversation about transportation, freight mobility and logistics in the next legislative session. I believe that natural gas vehicles will be an important component of that discussion," said Ray.

Coalition Chair Eric Criss explained why businesses are turning to NGVs. "We have reached the tipping point for NGVs - the technology is already in use across the nation and around the world. Moreover, businesses are desperate to cut their fuel costs. AAA reported the largest July increase for the national average retail gas price in more than a dozen years. Prices rose 36 of 39 days."